Friday & Saturday

Hi,

Looking at our posts, you'd think NOTHING happened on Friday. Au contraire. Dr. Ryan, in consort with Dr. Cross, discharged Leenie to home! (Every development seems tgo be a surprise). I was with Peanut & Brian & Paul had to get their plane, so Godson Philip brought Leenie home after gettng her prescriptions filled and stocking up on Hearty Campbell's soup. He called to say she was comfortable & glad to be home and that I should pick her nausea medicine up on the way home as they didn't have it ready. (He also doubted she would need it. She'd been eating quite well & was ready for her soup. Philip said the medicine she takes in the morning to increase her appetite is testosterone. (He's in pharmaceutical sales but he's also Philip, godchild of Leenie so who knows what it is).

Brother Phil got home around 4:30 & reported the same good news. It was truly amazing. I arrived around 6:30 and she looked wonderful! She's had none of the bad side effects of either drug and apparently we will be receiving instructions by telephone from Dr. Cross' staff re: her next treatment which will be Wednesday - probably at Dr. Cross' Oncology Center.

Leenie went from believeing death was embracing her on Monday to being an OUT PATIENT with a lot of reading and grateful prayers to say on Friday.

Today, Saturday, she was up before me (a fact she annoyingly made a point of noting), had toast w/ butter and strawberry preserves & coffee. Her face is fuller - 6-7 lbs or so fuller and she has real color in her cheeks (& maybe Tuesday we'll do something about getting the real color out of our roots)

It's a relaxing, cozy day. One would be surprized to think anyone here was anything but tip top re: health. (That may change if doc Phil has Emiryl's sausage for dinner. Leenie, Bridie & I will all need Compazine).

Till tomorrow,

Lorane

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Mom Returns to Linbay

Mom was discharged from the hospital early Friday afternoon. When Paul and I left to go to the airport she was in great spirits and very excited about getting out. She gained six pounds this week, which is a big step in getting healthy again. The goal now is to continue this at home. Since Mom enjoyed the soup so much, we discussed stocking up on cans for easy access when she's home. Keep eatin' Mom!

~BDH

Hi,
It's a tad late but it's been a productive day. We recouped from the greeting of the new year & got Leenie's room taken apart & put back together with clean linen, etc. Dad Phil was working.
Jennie visited Leenie with the now ubiquitous DQ chocolate shake. She had a good portion of it & they had a relaxing visit.
Brian, Paul & I waited until around 4 to visit. Leenie was getting ready for dinner & reported that she had had the Platinum Chemo in the morning, tolerating it well! She was disappointed that she was not discharged today but is hopeful for tomorrow.
Doc Phil will be @ work; I'll be with the Peanut from 8 until 5:30; Paul & Brian will either take her home or lunch there, leaving in time for their 3 pm flight to Boston; if discharge is in the afternoon, her Godson Philip will get her there & settled and if discharge is late afternoon , Phil Sr. & I will get her around 6.
She looks far more energetic and is pleased to report that the chemo was tolerated well thus far & the meds that increase her appetite & decrease nausea are working. She's gained about 6 lbs since Monday.
Sooo, Dr. Ryan will make the discharge decision, relying on Dr. Cross' recommendations. All of her meds are oral and her mediport will be sealed until needed to administer Chemo as an outpatient next week. (That is our sincere hope & prayer)
I'll keep you in the loop, even if she spends the weekend in the hospital, the big news is that she actually started her course of treatment and did it without any negative side effects.
Keep her in your prayers & scan in photos with your comments. She really enjoyed going through the pictures of the bridal shower she gave on Devonshire for Charlene Costa in 1969.

Till the next "hurdle" day, 01/02/09. . . .
Lorane

Mom's Initial Chemo Regimen

Happy New Year Everyone.

In case anyone wanted a little more info on the the chemo that Mom's receiving, I've included the specific combinations below. If you click on the name of the drug, you'll be linked to a website describing the drug, it's side effects and some other information about it. Also, if you have any questions or comments (no matter how small) that you'd like one of us to ask Mom's doctors/nurses directly, please post them here.

I've also changed the blog format in hopes of making it easier on the eyes. If anyone has any other suggestions for improving it, please don't be shy about commenting!

Thanks,

~BDH

Wednesday: Gemcitabine (a.k.a: Gemzar)
Thursday: Carboplatin

Happy New Year Mom!

----Remain strong as you begin your treatment---

2009 will be a great year and we will all be together one year from tonight to ring in 2010.

Love,
Tim

Wednesday, Wednesday

Drum roll, please.

Today, Leenie rallied so well that at 2 pm Dr. Cross gave her her first dose of chemotherapy! It is the second drug of the combo which will be given twice a week for 3 weeks. Since she didn't have any bad side effects (except fatigue - expected), he's decided to give her the big gun, Platinum (what with her hair, she wouldn' have it any other way) which will be given once every 3 wks. She told brother Philip that if she responds well (ie, doesn't have bad effects that would interfere with her nutritional build-up process), she may go home Thursday. (He was present when she told him, so telephonic mis-communication can be ruled out.)

So. Leenie had to go back to the hospital because she was dehydrated & the disease had robbed her of her appetitie and interest in liquid intake (certainly a first for those who know her). But (& hopefully there won't be any more of those). When I approached her on the bathroom floor, retching, pale, her eyes glazed with fear & cofusion, she asked, "Am I dying?" I responded that yes, she was, but not imminently. Rather the disease had apparently advanced significantly and rapidly, with malice and stealth, unwelcome and delighting in its clever, powerful repulsiveness while she slept. Tossing its head back with victorious laughter at the sight of her - helpless, terrified, reduced to a cold, unsavory bathroom floor for her mattress, it did not consider that discovering that she had time, choices and acres of down-blanketed support, Leenie, as she told me later upon receiving the news - "No primary site." - "I plan on getting better."

We then gave each other the Eucharist and packed quickly, quietly - about to go out into the cold night (cold was simply an annoying companion) to seek, find and then use each quill carefully, thoughtfully acquired and put at the ready to face, suffer through, battle with and, God willing, vanquish the enemy.

Let's make sure we're all with her, armed with the innocent confidence of the little ones, so that we are not just with her but actively feeling, tasting, smelling, hating that which our collective will might destroy with the Cross our mighty sword. . .

Lorane

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Tuesday evening wth Leenie

Hi,

Brian & Paul found Leenie a bit restless but very surprised & excited to see them. Unfortunately, she was having pain (which was apparent) but it was 6 pm & she'd not asked for pain meds since the morning. Shortly after getting medicated, she was relaxed and joking about beating the patch system by sneaking out & smoking without it.

Obviously, the pain meds must be given regularly & not on demand. Otherwise, chatter remained "newsy/breezy"; she loves her docs; saw Gordon Ryan for a long admit visit late Monday (they were talking about putting a tube in her intestine for food feeding when she comes home); Dr. Cross stressed wt. gain & builiding strength for chemo. All in all she seemed to be focusing on getting well enough to be treated as an out-patient.

When it was obvious she was getting tired they left BUT, throughout the visit she slurped down 1/2 of a giant chocolate DQ shake!

"Of human bandage" arrived home clueless in Virginia Beach but ver enthusiastic about Leenie's admission. He says it's a huge positive step forward & will see her after work today. There's a cute Obama throw blanket in the gift shop that he has his eye on for her. . .

Off to my appt,

Lorane

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